Golf scoring apparatus



June 10, 1958 MENES 2,838,238

GOLF SCORING APPARATUS Filed May 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0 3 Z4 1 a E]\9 INVENTOR.

BY Maw fi J5 54 $3 I June 10, 1958 H. MENES 2,838,238

GOLF SCORING APPARATUS Filed May 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FT 8%? 55' T44 J6 All,

IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent GOLF SCORING APPARATUS Herbert Menes, Chicago, IlL,assignor to Clinton Watch Company, Chicago, Ill, a corporation ofIllinois Application May 18, 1956, Serial No. 585,860 2 Claims. (Cl.235-113) This invention relates to golf scoring apparatus; moreparticularly, it relates to golf scoring apparatus which may be attachedto a golf bag or golf cart, or may be placed on the users belt or in hispocket.

Numerous golf scoring mechanisms have been heretofore proposed, but theyinvariably were inconvenient to use, or were unreliable in that theirmechanism would easily get out of order, and, where they weresufiiciently inexpensive to reach a mass market, they would not give allof the information desired, such as hole score, as well as total score.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a golf scoringmechanism which, in a simple, reliable, inexpensive, and easy-to-usemanner, provides information on both the number of strokes used on ahole being played and also the total number of strokes for the holesplayed.

In accordance with a preferred aspect of the invention, the golf scoringdevice includes an almost Watch-sized casing from which extend three,preferably spring-urged and depressible, control members. Depression andrelease of one of the members once advances both a hole and a totalscore indicator, each of which is preferably a rotatable dial, one unitto bring respective numbers representing the number of strokes the holebeing played and an accumulated stroke total in registry with viewingwindows provided in the casing. Following completion of a hole, one ofthe other members is depressed to reset to zero only the dial providingthe stroke total for the hole. The total score dial remains in positionto indicate the accumulated stroke total. Depression of the third memberafter golf play is over resets to zero the total score dial. The scoringand resetting operations of the device are thus effected Without anyappreciable mental or physical effort. A clip is preferably secured tothe case so that it may be hung on the outside of the top of a golf bagor golf cart, or on the wearers belt.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, rugged mechanismwithin the case is provided which is made of a relatively small numberof parts which are so inexpensive to construct and assemble-that thedevice can be priced to reach a mass market.

In a preferred form of the invention, there is provided three countwheel assemblies each comprising an outer indicating dial or wheel, anda ratchet wheel and cam both carried by the back of the indicating dial.One of the count wheel assemblies provides a count of hole score, andthe other two assemblies respectively provide a count of the tens andunits digits representing a total or accumulated score.

The ratchet wheels of the hole score and total unit score count wheelassemblies are simultaneously operated byca bell crank lever which isnormally held out of engagement with both of these ratchet wheels. Aresilient locking pawl shaped to permit forced rotation of the ratchetwheel in either direction holds each ratchet wheel in its proper angularposition. When the depressible scoring member is actuated, the bellcrank lever is turned and its respective arms engage the aforesaidratchet 2,838,238 Patented June 10, 1958 wheels and advance them onestep. The visible numbered indications on the outer faces of the holescore indicating dial and the total score units indicating dial increaseby one unit. The units ratchet wheel has ten teeth, one of whichprojects beyond the others. Every ten steps of this ratchet wheel, thelong tooth engages a transfer pawl which engages the tens ratchet wheeland advances it one step. The visible number on the outer face of theassociated tens indicating dial then increases one unit. Depression ofthe hole score resetting control member moves a cam-engaging memberagainst the cam of the hole score Wheel assembly to turn the cam into azero-indicating position. Since the aforementioned bell crank lever isnorm-ally out of engagement with the hole score ratchet wheel, resettingof the hole score wheel assembly does not affect the total units scorewheel assembly.

Depression of the total score reset control member simultaneously movesthe aforementioned transfer pawl, which is located between the totalunits score ratchet wheel and the total tens ratchet wheel, awaytherefrom to enable independent movement thereof, and a camengagingmember against both the units and tens wheel assembly cams to rotate thesame into a zero-indicating position.

This preferred structure just discussed is a specific aspect of theinvention, and variations may be made in one or more features thereofwithout departing from the broader aspect of the invention.

Also, other objects, advantages and features of the invention willbecome apparent upon making reference to the specification to follow,taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the top of a conventionalgolf bag upon which is mounted the golf scoring device of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of the scoring device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the scoring device showing the mountingclip removed from the casing thereof;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the golf bag showing themanner in which the scoring device is secured thereto;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the scoring device of Fig. 2showing the indicating dials or wheels and part of the mechanism forimparting rotation thereto, taken along section line 5-5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section through the scoring device, takenalong section line 66 in Fig. 7 and showing the ratchet wheels and camswhich control rotation of the indicating dials;

Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section of the scoring device takenalong section lines 7-7 in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a portion of the deviceshown in Fig. 6 and shows the position of the components thereof duringthe resetting of the total score indicating dials; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the bell crank lever as itadvances the ratchet wheel one position.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a golf bag 2 upon the rim of which is mountedthe scoring device 4 of the invention. This device includes a casing 6having a visible window or opening 8 through which the hole score may beseen and a pair of visible windows or openings 10 and 12 through whichnumbers are visible representing respectively the tens and units digitsof the total score. Extending upwardly from the right hand side of thetop of the casing 6 is a depressible scoring member 14 which whendepressed and released once advances both the hole score and the totalscore indications one unit. Extending upwardly from the left hand sideof the top of the casing 6 is a clepressible resetting member 16 whichwhen depressed and released once resets the hole score to zero.

A total score depressible resetting member 18 depends from the bottom ofthe casing 6 and when depressed and released once resets the total scoreto zero. Thus, the hole score and total score indications are resetindependently of one another so that the resetting of the hole scoredoes not alfect the total score. This feature is desirable because thehole score is reset at the end of each hole so that the score for asucceeding hole may be readily obtained directly by the number visiblethrough the hole score window 8 while the total score is reset onlyafter completionof a golf game which may be 9 or 18 holes.

The golf scoring device 4 is provided with a clip 20 so that it may bereadily mounted upon the rim of a golf bag, upon a golf cart or on thewearers belt. The detailed construction of the components making up thepreferred form of golf scoring device illustrated in the drawings' willnow be described.

The casing 6 comprises two telescoping casing sectrons 22 and 30. Theoutermost casing section 22 has square-shaped peripheral walls 23 madeof metal or other suitable material, and secured to the inner surface ofthese walls is a faceplate 24 of metal or similar material. Thefaceplace 24 contains the aforementioned hole score and total scoreindicating windows 8, 10 and 12. A trans parent glass plate 26 issandwiched between a forwardly ofiset perimeter portion 27 of thefaceplate 24 and a turned-in forward end 28 of the peripheral casingwalls 7 23. The inner casing section 30 is disposed within the rear openend of the outer casing section 22 and includes a squarerear centralpanel 31 fromthe perimeter of which forwardly extends peripheral walls32 three sides of which engage the inner surfaces of the outer casingsection 22. The depressible scoring and reset control members 14, 16 and18 extend through respective slots 34 formed in the casing sections. Atongue 35 depends from the rear casing wall 31 and braces the rear ofthe reset control member 18.

The clip 20 for securing the casing to the golf bag or other mountingsurface includes a fiat vertically extending tongue 36 which joins atits top a forwardly curved portion 38 which terminates in a horizontalflat mounting strip portion 40. The mounting strip portion 40 extendsbetween the top Wall portions of the inner and outer casing sections andis provided with a pair of slots 4242 through which pass the scoring andresetting members 14 and 16. The mounting strip 40 portion is secured tothe casing by screws 44 which pass through aligned unthreaded holes 45and 45 in the mounting strip portion 40 and the top of the outer casingsection and thread into corresponding threaded holes formed in the topof the inner casing section 30. The casing sections are thus alsosecured together by these screws 44 and by other screws 44 extendingthrough the bottom wall of the outer casing section and threading intocorresponding threaded holes in the bottom wall of the inner cas ingsection.

Extending from and secured to the rear wall 31 'of the inner casingsection are three pivot pins 46, 48 and 50 which respectively rotativelyreceive a hole score count wheel assembly 52, a units total score countwheel assembly 54 and a tens total score count wheel assembly 56. Thesecount wheel assemblies respectively have count indicating wheels ordials 58, and 62 on the outer faces of which numbered indicia from zerothrough nine are arranged along circles which are respectivelyconcentric with the axes of rotation of the associated count wheelassemblies. The casing windows 8, 10 and 12 are so positioned that oneof the numbers on each of the indicating dials 58, 60 and 62 arerespectively opposite the windows 8, 12 and 10. Carried by the rear ofthese indicating wheels are ratchet wheels 64, 66 and 68 respectively.The ratchet wheel 64 associated with the hole score indicating dial. 58has ten ratchet teeth. of substantially the sarne size whereas the unitstotal score ratchet wheel 66 has nine teeth of substantially the samesize and a tooth 69 which is substantially longer than the other teeththereof. The tens total score ratchet wheel 68 has ten teeth ofsubstantially the'same size.

Carried by the rear of the aforementioned ratchet wheels are respectiveresetting cams 70, 72 and 74 to be described in more detail hereafter.Suffice it to say at this point, these cams are used respectively toreset or to position to zero-indicating positions the count wheelassemblies with which they are associated. Each of the count wheelassemblies is rotatably secured in place upon the pivot pins 46, 48 and50 by means of screws 76 which thread into the pivot pins.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 6, the depressible scoringmember 14 has a transverse tab 80 at the upper end thereof which forms aconvenient pressing surface and a relatively long shank 82 which ismovably secured to the rear casing wall 31 of the inner casing sectionby a screw 84 passing through a vertical slot 86 in. the shank 82 andthreading into the wall 31. The hole score resetting member'16 has atransverse tab 88 at the upper end thereof and a shank 90 which ismovably secured to the casing wall 31 by a screw 92 passing through avertical slot 94 in the shank 90 and threading into the wall 31. Thetotal score resetting member 18 has a transverse tab 96 at the bottomthereof and a shank 98 backed by the casing tongue 35 connecting with acam plate 99 whose construction will be described more fully hereafter.The cam plate 99 has a vertical slot 102 through which extends asecuring screw which threads into the rear casing wall 31 to movablysecure the reset member 18 in place.

The scoring member 14 operates a bell-crank 104 which is rotatablymounted on the rear wall of the casing by a screw 106. The upper arm ofthe bell-crank member 104 is urged into contact with the bottom of theshank 82 of thescoring control member 14 by a spring 108 anchored to therear casing wall by a screw 110.

The arms of the bell-crank 104 have transversely ex tending ends 112which, when the scoring member 14 isdepressed, engage the graduallysloping sides of the teeth of the hole score and units total scoreratchet wheels. The movement of the bell-crank 104 is limited by a pin111 extending from the rear casing wall. Normally, the arms of thebell-crank are out of engagement with the ratchet wheels 64 and 66.

The hole score ratchet wheel 64 is held in any one of its ten positionsby a spring metal arm or pawl 114 anchored at one end to a post 116secured to the casing wall 31. The other end of the spring metal arm 114is V-shaped at 117 and has a bottom surface 118 which inclines at thesame angle as the gradually sloping side of the contiguous tooth againstwhich it is to bear in one of the ten desired positions of the ratchetwheel. The end of the spring arm 114 thus earns the ratchet wheel intoits proper angular portion 117 has an inclination which is not as steepas the steep side of the adjacent ratchet tooth and it contacts only theend of this tooth. This construction enables the ratchet wheel to berotated in either directionfor resetting purposes.

The units total score ratchet wheel 66 is held in one of its ten desiredpositions in a similar manner by a spring metal arm 119 anchored at oneend to a post 120 secured to the rear casing wall 31. 'The other end ofthe spring metal arm 119 is V-shaped at 120 to cam the associatedratchet wheel to one of its desired ten positions and to permit movementof the ratchet wheel in either direction in the same manner describedabove.

For each ten steps of advancement of the units ratchet wheel 66, thetens ratchet wheel 68 is advanced one step by'means of a transfer pawlmember 122 which is rotatably secured to the cam plate 99 by a screw123. This transfer pawl 122 has a short arm 126 which. is in the path:of. movement of only the long tooth 69 of the ratchet wheel position.The outer end of the V-shaped 66. As the long tooth 69 is movedclockwise into engagement with the arm 126, the latter is pivotedcounter clockwise to bring a long arm .28 of the pawl member 122 intoengagement with the gradually sloping side of a tooth of the ratchetwheel 68. The degree of movement impartable to the transfer pawl member122 is limited by a pin 129 extending from the plate portion 99.

As in the case of the other ratchet wheels, a spring metal arm 130 isprovided which is anchored at one end to a post 132 which is secured tothe casing wall 31. The arm 130 has a V-shaped end 134 which is urgedinto camming engagement with the ratchet wheel 6 to position the ratchetwheel in any one of ten desired positions thereof. Also, the V-shapedend 134 permits rotation of the ratchet wheel in either of twodirections.

Since all of the ratchet wheels are integrally connected to theassociated count indicating dials, any movement imparted thereto resultsin a similar movement of the associated indicating dial and theadvancement of the number visible through the windows 8, 1t and 12 byone unit.

The means for resetting the hole score count wheel assembly 52 will nowbe described. Associated with the reset member 16 is a resetting lever136 which is rotatably anchored to the rear casing wall 31 by a screw138. The lever 136 is urged into engagement with the shank 90 of thereset member by a spring 139 anchored to the casing wall 31 by a screw146. The lever 136 has an end providing a flat inclined camming surface142 which, when the reset member 16 is depressed, is forced against thereset cam 76. The cam 74) is substantially heartshaped and accordinglywhen engaged by the camming surface 142 will be rotated into a positionwhere the camming surface 142 engages both short projecting portions141-441 of the cam. The direction in which the cam will be rotateddepends upon which side of the line of symmetry of the heart-shaped cammember the camming surface 142 initially makes contact. During resettingtherefore, the cam may be rotated in either direction, so that theretainer spring metal arm 114 associated with the ratchet wheel 64 mustpermit forced rotation of the count wheel assembly 52 in eitherdirection. Note that since the bell-crank lever 104 is normally out ofengagement with the ratchet wheel 64, that resetting of .the latter willhave no effect upon the units and tens ratchet wheels 66 and 68. Whenthe hole score count wheel assembly 52 is in its reset position, thezero numeral on the outer face of the hole score indicating wheel 58will be visible through the window 8 of the face plate 24 of the casing4.

Resetting of the ratchet wheels 66 and 68 is effected in a mannersimilar to that just described. The cam plate 99 of the reset member 18has a pair of outer arms 146-146 which slidably engage the innerdefining side walls of the casing 4. The plate 99 has a centralprojecting portion 147 from which the transfer panel member 122 isrotatably mounted. At the base of this projecting portion 147 is formeda pair of oppositely inclined camming surfaces 148 and 149 which arerespectively arranged to cooperate with cams 72 and 74 associated withthe units and tens count wheel assemblies 54 and 56, respectively. Thesecams are heart-shaped and, when the reset arm 18 is depressed, thecamming surfaces 148 and 149 are brought into engagement with the cams72 and 74 to rotate the same by camrning action into positions where thecamming surfaces abut both the short projecting portions thereof asillustrated in Fig. 8.

The cam plate 99 is normally urged into its lower position by a retainerspring arm 154 which is anchored to the casing wall by screw 156. Theend of the spring arm 154 bears against the upper projecting end 147 ofthe cam plate to urge the cam plate into engagement with the casingbottom.

The golf scoring device above described is extremely rugged, and itssimplicity of design results in reliability of operation and low cost.Further, both the total score and hole score is advanced one unit by theoperation of a single control 14, which greatly simplifies the problemof scoring with this device. Also, resetting of the hole score or thetotal score is accomplished by a single depression of a reset controlmember.

It should be understood that although the above described embodiment isthe clearly preferred form of the invention, variations of the preferredform of the invention may be accomplished without departing from thespirit of the broader aspects of the invention.

It is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent ofthe United States:

1. Golf scoring apparatus comprising: a pocket-sized casing, manuallyoperable stroke-scoring means extending from one side of said casing,hole stroke counting means in said casing coupled to said manuallyoperable means for operation thereby, said hole stroke counting meansadvancing one step for each elemental movement of said manually operablemeans, externally visible hole score-indicating means coupled to saidhole stroke counting means for indicating the number of strokes takenper hole, a total stroke counting means in said casing coupled to saidmanually operable means for operation thereby, said total strokecounting means advancing one step for each elemental movement of saidmanually operable means, externally visible total score-indicating meanscoupled to said total stroke counting means for indicating the totalstrokes for the previous holes played, manually operable hole scoreresetting means extending from the same side of said casing as saidmanually operable stroke scoring means for resetting said hole scoreindicating means to Zero, independently of the total score indicatingmeans, and manually operable total score resetting means extending froma different side of said casing for resetting said total scoreindicating means to a start position.

2. Golf scoring apparatus comprising: a casing having a visible faceproviding window means for viewing the hole score and the total score, asingle manually operable spring-urged stroke-scoring member extendingfrom one side of said casing, pawl means mounted in said casing foractuation by said stroke-scoring member, a hole stroke counting ratchetwheel and a total units stroke counting ratchet wheel both mounted insaid casing said pawl means being normally out of engagement with saidhole stroke and totals units ratchet wheels to enable independentresetting thereof and being moved into engagement therewith tosimultaneously advance them one unit when said stroke scoring member isactuated, a total stroke tens counting ratchet wheel mounted in saidcasing, means coupling said tens counting ratchet wheel to said unitscounting ratchet wheel together so that the tens counting ratchet wheelis advanced one sep for each ten steps of advancement of said unitscounting ratchet wheel, a hole score-indicating wheel with consecutivelynumbered indicia thereon mounted behind said casing window means formovement with said hole strokecounting ratchet wheel, the numberedindicia being positioned to be successively brought into view in saidwindow means as said indicating wheel is turned, total units and tensscore-indicating wheels with consecutively numbered indicia thereonmounted behind said casing window means for movement with the associatedratchet wheels, the latter numbered indicia being positioned to besuccessively brought into view in said casing Window means as theassociated indicating wheel is turned, re spective resetting camscoupled with said indicating wheels, hole score resetting meansincluding manually operable spring-urged means extending from said onecasing side and cam-operated means connected thereto for movementthereby, said cam-operating means having a cam-engaging surface whichengages said resetting cam associated with the hole stroke-countingratchet wheel and rotates the same into a reference position, and totalscore resetting means including manually operable spring-urged meansextending from another side of said casing and cam-operating meansconnected thereto for movement thereby, said last-mentionedcam-operating means having cam-engaging surfaces which engage saidresetting cams associated with said total score units and tensindicating wheels and rotate the cams together with the associatedindicating. wheels to their zero-indicating positions, said means whichcouples said units and tens counting ratchet wheels being mounted formovement away from said latter counting ratchet wheels upon movement ofsaid latter cam-engaging surfaces into their cam-engaging positions toenable said units and tens ratchet wheels to move independently of oneanother.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS496,688 Houghton May 2, 1893 519,180 Gearhart May 1, 1894 619,529Andrews Feb. 14, 1899 638,304 Weston Dec. 5, 1899 1,078,385 SaehrendtNov. 11, 1913

